Hi gonefishing. I don't want to tell y'all how to do your job, but quite frankly, when I hear Orthodox talk this way, it just makes you sound close-minded and myopic.

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What you said is that it's an insult to say that your statements make Orthodox sound closed-minded

Okay, first I sound closed-minded and then I'm making Orthodox sound closed-minded? Which is it? I'm speaking for all of Orthodoxy now? I've been to one Liturgy. How did I get to wield that kind of power?

That first post is where you directed those statements to me, not my opinions or to anyone else. That's what is known as an insult. Another said my opinions were 'nonsense.' In another thread, I was called 'dumb.' What are YOU making Orthodox sound like??

You're on my butt like a spider monkey. Get off. Stop insulting people and stop riding someone's butt when they disagree with you. You're wrong. Get over it.

I'm speaking for all of Orthodoxy now? I've been to one Liturgy. How did I get to wield that kind of power?

That first post is where you directed those statements to me, not my opinions or to anyone else. That's what is known as an insult. Another said my opinions were 'nonsense.' In another thread, I was called 'dumb.' What are YOU making Orthodox sound like??

You're on my butt like a spider monkey. Get off. Stop insulting people and stop riding someone's butt when they disagree with you. You're wrong. Get over it.

I really don't appreciate the way your talking to me. (Actually, I don't much care for your attitude toward non-Orthodox in general, but that seems unnecessary to say at this point.)

That's both anti-biblical and anti-traditional. But hey, how else would Orthodoxy remain the "best kept secret"?

As laypeople, we will most often end up misportraying the church or the faith if we do much else (as is often done on internet forums). Best for us just to get them there, and have them talk to the priest if they have questions/issues about the faith.

That's both anti-biblical and anti-traditional. But hey, how else would Orthodoxy remain the "best kept secret"?

As laypeople, we will most often end up misportraying the church or the faith if we do much else (as is often done on internet forums). Best for us just to get them there, and have them talk to the priest if they have questions/issues about the faith.

I can't answer that without sounding like a prideful know-it-all, so... ok, nevermind

Logged

"Christian America is finally waking up to what fraternities and biker gangs have known for years: hazing works!"

I have a question, because it was brought up earlier, do you really need to be immersed in philosophy to convert someone? Is philosophy even needed when it comes to Christianity?

I don't think so. I was converted more-or-less by having been everywhere else first, so that when I found Orthodoxy myself (not without first having been exposed to EO'xy in person, so I knew that was out there and didn't fit me), I had the necessary background to be able to tell that it this was something truly different than everything else, even months (years?) before I was able to actually attend a liturgy. I wouldn't rely on this method across the board, though...some people probably do need to be intellectually convinced, though that doesn't mean that it's any particular person's job to do so. For most, I would assume that there might be a few specific issues that they would assurances on (e.g., icons, the Pope, etc.), but these probably don't need an in-depth philosophical treatise for each question. For instance, I had some questions about the particulars of confession in the Coptic Church (not problems with it, just things I wanted to know to make sure that I could get the most out of it), and so Father just took maybe 5 or 10 minutes before we began to describe how it's generally done. Bam. Lesson imparted and question answered. I've found everything similarly digestible thus far: You have a question? Oh, here's how we actually deal with that when it comes up. Then if you want to know more about it, you can bring in the philosophy and books and all that. No need to bury someone who is so new to the whole deal in a bunch of intellectual tomes or arguments if you can make the same point using language you don't need to study to understand. That can come later, when the person is more well-rooted in the faith.

I really don't appreciate the way your talking to me. (Actually, I don't much care for your attitude toward non-Orthodox in general, but that seems unnecessary to say at this point.)

I didn't appreciate at all the way you were talking to me. Pretty sure that's what started this whole thing. If you offend someone, they have every right to be offended and will pretty much say they're offended. Don't insult people in the course of stating your opinions. That'll fix it.

Saying that I don't have a problem with most Protestants, don't push them too hard and turn them off. I'd just lead them to the history and let them figure it out. You should spend more time working on unbelievers.

1Cr 12:12 - For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.1Cr 12:18 - But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.